The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Arc flash incidents can be triggered by a variety
was established in 1896 and has become the of electro-mechanical and accidental causes
worlds leading advocate of fire prevention. The including: dust, corrosion and impurities on
influence of its 300 codes and standards are contact surfaces; racking of breakers and
evident in buildings, products, and practices replacement of fuses; failure of insulating
throughout the world. NFPA codes are adopted material; leads breaking at connections;
through a broad consensus of experts, and have accidental contact with conductors with body,
resulted in some of the worlds most referenced tools, bolts or other metal parts.
and respected codes.
The arc flash itself can achieve temperatures in
NFPA 70, also known as the National Electric excess 35,000F producing blinding flash, causing
Code (NEC) is the standard developed for copper bus-bar and cabling to instantly reach a
electrical design, installation and inspection. It plasma state (the fourth state of matter after
does not specifically address electrical liquid and gas) which causes copper to expand
maintenance or safe work practices. For the more than 67,000 times its solid-state size. This
consensus standards on these topics we turn to resulting arc blast is a bomb-like explosion
NFPA 70B and NFPA 70E respectively. which releases thousands of pounds of force,
carrying with it molten shrapnel and a super-
Although NFPA has no regulatory authority, its heated fireball which will often blow steel panels
codes and standards are widely adopted or off hinges and bolts. The net result can be total
referenced by agencies such as local destruction of any plant assets in direct contact
municipalities and OSHA many times making with the explosion, and disruption of plant
the standards a de-facto regulatory requirement processes. If a thermographer, electrician or
for companies. In fact, in August, 2007, OSHA laborer happens to be working in front of the
adopted aspects of NFPA 70E and the NEC in a equipment which is affected by the blast, the
rare revision to its (OSHAs) 1910.303 Subpart S, effects for the worker and their families could be
stating that the agency will draw heavily from devastating.
the 2000 edition of NFPA 70E, as well as the 2002
edition of the NEC. The heat generated by the arc flash can cause 3rd
degree burns. The pressure wave from the
In other instances, insurers may reference explosion can rupture internal organs, damage
standards as best management practices and hearing and cause injuries if the worker is thrown
may even require aspects of these standards as a into surroundings predominated by concrete and
requirement for better rates or perhaps as a steel. The shrapnel and flying panels can have
prerequisite for insurability. Many insurers are obvious effects as they rip through the air and
requiring manufacturers to inspect their critical potentially through any people in the vicinity of
electrical distribution equipment at least the explosion.
annually, per NFPA 70B.
Each year across North America, 5 to 10 serious
Dangers of Arc Flash arc flash incidents occur each day, resulting in the
One of the dangers which these standards are need to treat over 2,000 workers in burn centers
designed to mitigate is the risk of an electrical arc (it is estimated that many more occur which only
flash. An arc flash is a short circuit (a phase-to- require emergency room attention and therefore
phase or phase-to-ground fault) through the air. do not get categorized in studies). The financial